To: Elder Jamieson, UCC Conference Committee, Pastors & Elders
“Dear Elder Jamieson,
I was distressed when I received the notification of the Conference Committee’s action banning me. I am grieved that it is perceived that I was a trouble maker, disloyal and divisive to the church that I love and have served all these years. My work as a pastor and an evangelist/revivalist has been to build up the church, not to tear it down. I worked 20 years for this conference, 12 of them as the conference evangelist. I have a vested interest in this conference. It’s why I expressed my concerns to you about Bill Henson’s LGBTQ+ “inclusion” program coming to our conference.
By God’s grace, I have been privileged through the years of my ministry to conduct some 124 full message evangelistic series, leading some 3000 individuals to Christ and into the church through baptism or Profession of Faith. (In my 2022 Post Falls’ series, I had the privilege of bringing an Assemblies of God pastor and his wife into the church by Profession of Faith and recently learned that they are not only still active but he is now the church’s outreach coordinator.) I believe in the church. I have been dedicated to proclaiming the truth. I love the Bible. There is an aspect of “apologetics” in my work, which has required careful reasoning from the Scriptures in defending our message. As a revivalist I have conducted many revival series as well in this conference and various churches in North America. Now the conference would ban me from continuing my preaching/teaching ministry.
“To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).
I have taken this time for prayerful reflection in examining my heart before the Lord. Did I cross a line from advocating for the truth to sowing division in the church in my concern over the gay issue? Was I overzealous in defending the church from LGBTQ+ inclusion? Did I misread Bill Henson? Was his program actually redemptive, not LGBTQ+? Was I disrespectful of leadership; rebellious in questioning and expressing my concerns to administration in bringing Bill Henson here? Was my alarm that we might be bringing into the church the very sins for which God’s judgments fell on Sodom and Gomorrah, ill founded? Was I somehow deceived and another spirit interjected itself into my thinking and judgment?
As I have re-accessed my own conclusions about Henson, I cannot come to any other conclusion than I had originally reached. And I was not the only one who had come to view Henson’s program as a threat to the church, including a fair number of pastors. Were we misguided in our concerns? Were we disloyal for speaking up?
It was a year ago, when a UCC pastor shared with me his apprehensions about the plans for Bill Henson’s “Posture Shift” program at Mivoden. I decided to look into it. I had never heard of him. I went through one of his online webinars. He said a number of good things, but it got my attention when he said that we must not hurt the LBGTQ+ individual psychologically or emotionally by telling them that what they are doing is sinful and that we must put the Bible teaching on this aside. At that point, it was clear that his program was simply a Christian adaptation of the cultural emphasis on LGBTQ+ “diversity” and “inclusion.” Henson never spoke of the sinner coming to the Savior through repentance and confession, finding forgiveness & cleansing through Jesus or overcoming and finding a new life in Him. The gospel was missing in his program. (I ordered his book, “Guiding Families of LGBT+ Loved Ones.”)
In time I discovered other pastors and members who had also looked into his program and had arrived at the same conclusion as I had.
One pastor, with many years of experience including in administrative work, and his wife told me that they had read his book a couple of years ago and that they had been distraught that this was coming into our conference.
A lay couple who had also gone through Henson’s book told me at length how deeply concerned they were about Bill Henson’s program coming to Upper Columbia.
Another pastor, who I had held meetings with both here in Upper Columbia Conference and in Northern California Conference , also told me of his concerns about Henson. He said he had actually attended Henson’s program for pastors and teachers, in which Henson used a handbook during his two day retreat. He said he also had a number of personal interactions with Henson, including by email. His assessment was that it was all about “affirming” and “inclusion” and that he raised concerns during the retreat about the implications of his program to our prerequisites to membership.
He shared with me excerpts from Henson’s handbook, “Posture Shift: A Missiological Model for LGBT+ Inclusion and Care Course Handbook.” I wrote a Biblical critique of it. He repeatedly was speaking of “inclusion.” Notice it’s in the title of his manual. (I shared that critique with you in a December 15 email last year. I never received a response, as was true of most of my other communications. I was open with you about my concerns and did what any other individual should do, I expressed my concerns directly to you.)
Then I learned of another UCC pastor who had read Bill Henson’s book, “Guiding Families of LBGT+ Loved Ones” and had written a critique of what he found there. He was deeply concerned as well. He pointed out that in the original Adventist edition of Henson’s book, all five of the Adventist contributors were from the “Gay/Straight Alliance” at Andrew’s University and were for inclusion and even gay marriage. I had but a limited understanding of how this was impacting our schools and universities. I got a real education in time. I was particularly shocked that the NAD handpicked them. Was our division itself for “inclusion?” See the attached document.
I will not take the time or space to share in-depth what we have found in Henson’s program, both as published and by those who have gone through his program. But let me share three statements from Henson’s handbook that will illustrate what I am talking about. (You will find the complete appraisal in my email December 15 appraisal. See the attachment.)
“Becoming a place of belonging for LGBT+ people is an opportunity, not a threat” p. 16.
“A gospel of exclusion has no power to reach already banished persons” p. 16.
“We have been one-dimensional going at people with doctrine, rather than loving them and laying down our lives for them .. . . We have constructed rigid barriers making it difficult for LGBT+ people to have much of an entrance into the church.“ Posture Shift: A Missiological Model for LGBT+ Inclusion and Care Course Handbook, Bill Henson, pp. 16, 29.
Not “excluding” is an argument for “inclusion” of LGBT+ individuals in the church and not allowing “doctrine” (Scriptural teaching) to keep us from welcoming them, is simply saying we must put the Bible aside. Is not the church being a place of “belonging” not mean by “inclusion” in church life, including membership?
The Scriptures warns us about false teachers coming into the church and that is what I and others saw in Bill Henson, a false teacher.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15).
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute” (II Peter 2:1,2).
Is it inappropriate for a pastor or member to express their concerns about unscriptural things that are coming into the church? Do we not have a responsibility to the Lord and to the church when we see such things coming into the church to speak up without fear of consequences or of being accused of disloyalty and divisiveness?
“I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 3,4).
Jude 7 speaks of Sodom and Gomorrah and “sexual immorality” and going “after strange flesh.” ‘Contending for the faith’ is contextually related to the homosexual problem characterizing both Sodom & Gomorrah and our current culture.
As an ordained Seventh-day Adventist pastor, I felt compelled to speak-up about Bill Henson. His program did not measure up to a Biblical test. The concerns I had and those of others were well founded and substantive. I do not believe it was inappropriate for us to share our concerns with you. I have an obligation before the Lord and to the church I love and serve to do so. It is not appropriate to attack my character and those of others for doing so and to accuse us of being “divisive.” Bill Henson is the issue.
“God is wonderful and terrible in His counsels. Let us have a care lest in our endeavors to arrest discords we be found to fight against the holy Word of God, and bring down upon our own heads a frightful deluge of inextricable dangers, present disasters, and everlasting. Desolations.” The Great Controversy, p. 159.
What “false allegations” am I guilty of promulgating? I am willing to be corrected. In all my communications with you, including when I met with you, I don’t remember anything being said about division or “false allegations.” In fact, I shared with you my concerns to you about the divisiveness that Henson could bring to this conference. Your response was, “we must not allow a few to determine what we do.”
Matthew 18 would require that if you had concerns that they should be expressed to me directly in an attempt to resolve the issue before it is taken to the church; in this case the Conference Committee.
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'” Matthew 18:15,16.
Moving on. It is true that when I and another pastor met with you at the office that you did share with us a clip of Henson speaking of repentance and overcoming. I do have to say that I was taken back because that is not what we had found in his program. I came to the conclusion that he was giving lip service to repentance and overcoming, when in reality his program was all about “inclusion.” I shared that with you in my December 15 email and I asked where I could see the whole video. I never received an answer.
I have some additional questions and concerns. I learned that in response to my email of October 31, in which I shared with you Pastor Ron Woolsey’s assessment of Henson’s program as being unbiblical (see attachment), you labored unsuccessfully on November 4 with the Cheney elders to have them ban me from their pulpit, accusing me of conference “bashing” in a sermon I preached there on September 23. I have a couple of questions. Why didn’t the individual who accused me of “bashing” bring his concerns to me as Jesus requires in Matthew 18? He told you, but not me. Did you ask him if he had spoken to me about what he found objectionable? Why didn’t you come to me with your concerns? (By the way, I communicated with that individual last fall and asked him what he found to be so objectionable, but he never responded. Cheney elder Lester Atkins also communicated with him and he didn’t answer him either. What specifically am I being accused of saying? To this day, I have no idea.)
As you know, the elders would not agree to banning me because they had never heard me “bashing” the conference. Indeed, the congregation was asked on December 30 whether they had ever heard me “bash” the conference. Not one hand went up. One woman did say that she remembers hearing me encouraging the members to pray for the conference. I am attaching the factual account of this whole issue by Cheney elder, Lester Atkins. Sadly, the head elder resigned his position after that meeting and as a result there is now tension between the church and their pastor and mistrust of the conference. I feel that I was the one being “bashed;” accused behind closed doors.
When I learned of what happened, I reached out to you personally as Matthew 18 requires. I expressed my concern that this was “heavy handed” and received the message that if you raise concerns with leadership, there may be consequences. Again, when I saw you on December 6, I expressed my concern directly to you about Cheney. There never has been a response. Why? Is this the false allegation that I am being accused of?
It was at that point that it became clear to me that there was going to be an attempt to make this an issue of personalities; an effort to discredit me for raising concerns with the conference. The May Conference Committee action reinforces that perception.
I am loyal. I love the Lord, I love the truth and I love the church. I am a senior pastor in the Seventh-day Adventist church. We are in interesting times as a people where there may be consequences within the church for defending the truth and expressing one’s concerns as I and others have done. This is not the spirit of Christ and not in keeping with our principles. If this is the price I have to pay for defending the truth, so be it. I have not given my life to ministry and proclaiming and defending the truth to shrink back at this point in my life. Bill Henson’s program is not Biblical.
There were incongruities between what we were hearing from administration and what we knew about Henson’s program. Additionally, when you and the Ministerial Secretary spent some time in seeking to dissuade Pastor Ron Woolsey and pressure was put on Wayne Blakely from coming and sharing their LGBTQ+ redemptive program, it raised questions about whether or not we were giving lip service to a redemptive approach, while bringing in Henson’s “inclusion” program.
So what happened during the Mivoden retreat?
Well, during the symposium a number of us gathered to pray each day for the retreat. (Personally, I spent the Sabbath before in fasting and prayer.) We received some sketchy, but positive reports. There were not a lot of specifics. Following the retreat, one pastor shared with us that he was still processing what he had heard, but that Henson never spoke of repentance. That was concerning. We did hear that you quoted from Ministry of Healing that Jesus saves us from both inherited and cultivated sin. Another pastor told us that you presented the gospel in your closing remarks. That was good.
Recently, another pastor shared with us several significant observations that indicated that Henson’s presentations were more in harmony with Scripture and the gospel then we would have expected based on his publications and reports of his program by others. (Did he go through a “posture shift” himself?) He shared that:
Henson said that Jesus’ blood was shed for the LBGT+ individual as much as for others.
Henson stated he would not try to change the structure and organization of our church, doctrine or policy.
He spoke about how to bring the gospel to the LGBT+ individuals. (Did he elaborate on what that meant?)
“He said he was not advocating for affirming or accepting practicing LGBT+. He spoke of coming out of the LGBT+ lifestyle.
He advocated for establishing a relationship with the LGBT+ individual for the purpose of leading them to Christ.
However, it was reported by another pastor that Henson inserted his three circle “inclusive” membership model in his presentation. That was disconcerting to hear. But the pastor said that the Executive Secretary took him aside afterwards and reminded him that he was not suppose to share that part of his program and explained to him how our membership parameters did not allow for LGBTQ+ inclusion in church membership. (That itself is verification that our assessment of Henson was not ill founded; that the administration recognized there were problems with his program. So why are we being faulted for speaking up? Why not recognize that our concerns were legitimate?) That was good to hear. However, we were told that nothing was said publicly to correct what Henson had said. Is that true? If so, would not pastors and teachers leave with the idea that membership itself would be open to practicing LGBT+ individuals?
The question of church membership is a vital one. This would have been an important setting, with all our pastors and teachers, to make clear biblically the conference’s (the world church’s) policy that baptism and church membership is not appropriate for practicing LGBTQ+ individuals.
So, it appears that you spent some time with Henson, putting constraints on what he would otherwise have presented.
Elder Jamieson. I sought to be open with you from the very beginning. I not only shared with you that we were gathering to pray about the retreat and Henson’s participation in it, but I personally invited you to speak to the pastors and members at our prayer gatherings in November and December. Because of my willingness to engage in communication with you, I became in time the de facto spokesman for others who shared my concerns. I don’t believe banning is the appropriate response to the legitimate concerns that were being raised. I ask you as the spiritual leader of our conference and as a fellow pastor in the church, to reverse the actions taken against me personally.
I am also requesting that I be given an opportunity to speak to the Conference Committee. Specifically, I am asking for at least an hour. I think they should hear from me and I would like to hear what it was that they thought was “divisive” and what they believe the “false allegations” to be. As fellow believers in Christ and in the church, I think we should see if there might not be a means by which we might find a peaceful resolution to the whole question. There are several others that might want to join me. I want to be in harmony with the conference. I don’t want to be at odds. As important as that is, truth is vital in my thinking.
Blessings,
Jim”
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